Walkway & Planter Edging

Unaltered stones are a natural and easy way to edge a walkway.

Walkways can be the focus of a garden and look better, function better and are easier to maintain if they are edged properly. Planter edging, similarly, can help to define segments of the garden, including pathways, while also keeping specific plants in contained, easy-to-locate areas. Edging is not necessary if you have a concrete path, but cut or natural stone, brick, and wood are all viable choices to edge a garden walkway or planter made of material such as gravel, brick, grass or flat stones.

Things You'll Need

• Trowel
• Pick
• Edging material

Instructions

1. Set foot-wide flat stones on edge to create a low retaining wall edging for paths made of cut stone. This continues the look, and separates the soil in garden beds from the walkway. Bricks can also be set on their side for the same effect on a brick path.

2. Dig a small 1- to 2-inch wide trough with your garden trowel where the edging stones will be placed and space the stones so they are 3 to 4 inches above the finished grade. For bricks, you will need to dig a trough at least 3 inches wide and deep enough so that at least half the brick is immersed.

3. Pack in the soil against the stones to secure them. This creates a neat edge, and the soil will be less likely to spill onto the path when you weed or during heavy rains

4. Dig a long trough for wood edging such as railroad ties, boards or pinned-steel strips. These materials work well to contain pathways made of gravel, dirt, bark chips or other loose materials. The further in the ground you embed the edging, the better it will hold the contents of the pathway or planter.

5. Set the rail road tie, board or steel strip into the trough and pack it in not only with dirt, but with stone dust (crusher dust) as this will set them like a natural concrete -- though not as permanent.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are digging in difficult soil, a trowel may not be strong enough. A pick-ax can be helpful in digging the trough for your edging.

References

• "Garden Paths: Inspiring Designs and Practical Projects"; Gordon Hayward; 1993